ecaubebt



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheen 1.

F. ECAUBERT'.

DEVICE FOR MAKING WATCH O'ASE CENTERS.

$10,253,355. Patented Feb.7,188Z.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. EGAUBER'T. DEVICE FOR MAKING WATCH CASE CENTERS. r No. 253,355, Patented Feb. 7,1882.

u, PETERS. PhDlo-Lilhflgripher. wnihingion. n. a

be maintained of its full thickness.

' UNrrsn Sraras PATENT Games.

I FREDERIO EGAUBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DEVICE FOR MAKING WATCH-CASE CENTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,355, dated February 7, 1882.-

v 7 Application filed June 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRnDERIo EGAUBERT, of the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Devices for Making Watch-Case Centers, of which the following is a specification.

Watch-case centers have been made of sheet brass center, and the thickness of the gold surface varying from about one-quarter to onetwentieth, it is important that the gold surface In tools that have been proposed for rolling up the Watch-case centers the surface of the metal is liable to be injured by the sliding or stretching action of one roller that acts to force the metal into the concave die by one continuous operation, for when this is done the metal will be bent by the action of the roller over the offsets or shoulders in the die, and then stretched and distended into the inward angles of such die.

My'improvement is made with reference to the circular folding of the sheet metal into the successive angles of the circular oii'sets or rings of the die, so as to commence with the formation of the convex knurled edge, and then to fold the sheet metal outwardly and form the respective annular flanges or ofisets for the lids, watch-plate, and bezel or ring of the glass, and thereby complete the watch-case center by successive rolling operations Without injury to the metal of which the watch-case center is formed.

In carrying out this invention I provide a concave die of peculiar construction, series of rollers to be used in succession, and means for holding the concave die and for operating the rollers in succession, and thereby producing the most perfect work with but little labor.

In the drawings, Figure l is a section of the die and finishing-roller through the axes of r0- tation. Fig. 2 shows the first of the series of rollers and a part of the die in larger size. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the second roller, and Fig. 4 is a similar view with the third or finishing roller. Fig. 5 is a section through the dies at the line as w. 7

The steel rings a b are turned up with accuracy, and there is an annular offset at 2 on one of the rings and an annular recess in the other ring. These are turned up with a slight taper on the outer edge of the offset, and then the parts are placed in contact and ground together with fine emery and oil or similar material, the object being to make the two parts of the concave die set together so accurately that there will not be any fin or projection visible around the watch-case center when made in the said die. The offset at 2 prevents the'possibility of any lateral movement of one part of the die upon the other, and to bring the parts of the die to the same positions when placed together I insert one or more pins, 13, in the ring b, entering holes in the ring After the rings a and b have been made in the aforesaid manner each ring is turned out with the proper offsets or annular flanges, so that when the rings a b are placed together the space within them will correspond accurately to the exterior surface of the watch-case center, andthe dies at I) are placed together while in a str t;

condition, and a knurling-tool applied to the interior surface between 3 and 4, so as to roughen the same and produce the desired ornamental shape for the outer edge of the watchcase center. a

In order to hold the rings to b firmly together and in their proper position for use, I provide,

Ia chuck, e, that is screwed upon the mandrel center f, andin it is a circular recess for the 0 reception of said rings (6 b. The clampingring g is screwed upon the outside of the chuck e, and the opening in said ring is large enough .to give free access to the interior of the die a y b. I also form radialteeth'at it upon the back 5 'of the ring g, and similar radial teeth, 70, upon :the adjacent flange l of the chuck e,'there being a sufficient distance between the teeth It I and 70 for the introduction of a pinion-wrench,

.121, (see Fig. 6,)'having a suitable handle for turning it and applying the power necessary to forcibly clamp the die a b by the ring g.

When' the blank concave ring a, of sheet metal, in theform shown in Fig. 7, is to be introduced the ring 9 is unscrewed, the die a 1) taken out, separated, carefully wiped, the ring a is introduced, and the diea bclosed and inserted in the chuck and firmly clamped by the ring 1. While the die a b is being revolved the rollers 0,1), and 1' are applied in succession to operate in the manner next described. The hollow sheet-1netal ring a is of a size to be grasped firmly by the knurled portion ot'the die between 3 and 1-, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the roller 0 is of a size and shape to spread this hollowring blank into the knurled part only of the die, thereby causing the periphery of the ring to become knurled or corrugated upon its exterior surface. The roller 0 is removed from its holding-arbor t and the rollerp is employed. This bends the ring a outwardly over the offset 3 and 4 into theanglcs 6 and 7, forming the annular offsets or shoulders for the lids of the watch-case. The roller 1) is now removed and the roller 1' substituted, and this finishes the bending up of the sheet metal of the watchcase center, and leaves that center of a size and shape corresponding exactly to the interior of the die a b, and in so doing the offset 8 for the inner case is formed and the offset 9 for the ring of the glass, and there is a groove at 10 in the roller 1', which produces a rib upon the inner face of the offset 9, upon which rib the watch-plate rests when the works are put intoplace.

By this improvement the watch-case center is completed, ready for polishing and for use; and I remark that the only hand-work required will be a slight turning at the base of the offsets to make them a slight taper and cause the lids to snap tightly upon these tapering offsets.

In order to facilitate the use of the successive rollers 01) 'r I make use of a tail-stock, o, in which is a cylindrical stock, to, having at the end next to the dies the arbor t, that is eccentric to the stock w, but on line with the axis of the mandrel f. This stock to can be drawn back so as to draw the arbor and roller bodily out from the center of the die a b for the removal of one roller and the insertion ofanother, and then said stock 10 is slid forward to bring the roller centrally into the die a I), and the stop-screw 12 should be used to determine the distance to which the roller is passed into the dies.

Upon the back end of the stock is a lever, z, and by turning this the cylindrical stock 20 will be partially revolved and the eccentric arbor moved away from the axial line of the mandrel, and thereby carry the periphery of the roller into contact with the interior surface of the ring a and efiect the operations hereinbefore stated of forming such ring into a watchcase center by the successive operations set forth.

I do not claim pins on one die enteringholes in another, nor a die for watch-case centers that is divided diametrically into half-circle segments or peripherally into rings. Neither do I claim an eccentric shaft for a tool operating either inside or outside a cylinder.

I claim as myinvention 1. In a two-part die having offsets, annular flanges, and knurled surface for watch case centers, a circular recess in one ring-die and a corresponding circular projection on the other ring-die, to prevent lateral movement of one die or the other, in combination with pins on one ring-die and holes in the other ring-die, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the rings a 1), forming a hollow die corresponding to the exterior of the watch-case center, the chuck 0, having a recess for the rings a b, and the ring 9, screwed upon the outside of the chuck and clampingthe rings a I) together, as set forth.

3. The chuck 0, having teeth k and dies 0. b jointly with toothed ring 9, screwed upon said chuck and pinion m, substantially as described.

4. The method herein specified of manufacturing watch-case centers, consisting in clamp-- knurled portion of the die to form the largest portion of the watch-case center first, then spreading the metal outwardly by a second.

for the lids, substantially as set forth.

ring-formed dies, rolling the metal :outwardly into the die by one roller toform thelargest or knurled portion of the watch-case center, then spreading the metal outwardly bya second'roller to form the offsets or shoulders for the lids ofthe case, and then spreading the metal outwardly by a third roller to form the annular offsets or shoulders for inner lid and ring of the glass, substantially as set forth.

6. In the m an ufactnre of watch-ease centers, the combination, with the hollow die that correspouds to the exterior surface of the center, of a roller corresponding to the interior surface of the watch-casecenter and having a groove at 10 to form the rib upon which the plate of the watch-works rests, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the die a I) andits clamping and revolving mechanism,of the cylindrical stock to, having an eccentric arbor at one end for the rollers 0 p or 1', and thelever z, for giving to such stock a partial rotation for the purposes and as set forth.

Signed by me this 18th day of June, A. D. 1880.

FREDERIG EOAUBERT.

Witnesses GEO. 'l. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. More.

mg a hollow sheet-metal ring between two ring-shaped dies, rolling the metal out into the roller to form the annular offsets or shoulders 5. The method herein specified of manufac turing watch-case centers, consisting in clamp-- mg a hollow sheet-metal ring between two 

